Food is big business in Hawkes Bay.
Hawkes Bay’s favourable climate and fertile soils produce a huge variety of foods.
Hastings, Napier and Central Hawkes Bay boast an array of world-class food producers including international players Heinz-Watties and McCains as well as large meat processors Silver Fern Farms, Progressive Meats and Affco.
Best known for its premium red wines, Hawkes Bay is also the country’s second largest wine producing region.
Agriculture and food and beverage manufacturing are dominant in the region, making up around one third of regional GDP and similarly in employment. The predominant land based industries also result in large seasonal employment.
Additional to the larger food processing companies, Hawkes Bay has a sizeable cluster and variety of typically innovative small to medium-sized food businesses. Some of these niche businesses have also been successful in exporting with markets as far afield as the UK, and the USA.
Supporting the food sector are a number of associations and organisations. Food Hawkes Bay is a membership organisation developed to promote and grow the region’s food industry by providing specialist advice and support. Other membership organisations include Hawkes Bay Winegrowers, and Gimblett Gravels Winegrowers.
The Eastern Institute of Technology - EIT located in Taradale has a Food and Wine Centre of Innovation, established to provide a focal point for training, education, research and product development activities for the Hawkes Bay wine and food industries.